Shingle hold down clip



April 1; 1958 e. H. FREED SHINGLE HOLD DOWN CLIP Filed July 28, 1955 INVENTOR GEORGE H. FREED BY MXW ATTORNEY SHINGLE HGLD DOWN CLIP George H. Freed, Pine Brook, N. J., assignor to Charles Wright Mac Millan, Upper Montclair, New Jersey Application July 28, 1955, Serial No. 525,017

3 Claims. (Cl. 108-33) This invention relates to a clip for use on roofing of the strip shingle type, and more particularly has reference to a hold down means applicable to such shingles for the purpose of preventing the exposed portions of the shingles from being lifted, torn, or otherwise adversely affected by weather conditions.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial Number 472,150, filed on November 30, 1954, and now abandoned.

Conventionally, strip type roofing shingles are formed of flexible material, and are individually of elongated, generally rectangular or hexagonal outer configuration, with the shingle having a plurality of transverse slots or keyways opening upon one longitudinal edge thereof, the slots at their inner ends terminating short of the other longitudinal edge. The unslotted, upper side of the shingle is overlapped by the slotted, lower portion of a shingle of the next higher course, in a conventional installation, and said unslotted, covered portion of each shingle is nailed to the roof sheathing. As a result, the exposed, slotted partof the shingle, which is not held down, can flap freely in a strong wind, and if the wind is strong enough, the shingle will as a result he lifted and torn from the roof. Further, even, if the shingle is not torn, the lifting of the exposed portion thereof, particularlywhen rain or snow is being carried by the wind, permits the rain or snow to blow under the lifted part of the shingle, causing leakage through the roof under these particular circumstances. In addition, the continual flapping of these shingles even in ordinary storms causes a shedding of sand or other aggregate material with which the outer portion of the shingle is coated, leading to a shortening of the life of the shingle. Furthermore, shingles of this type are also known to buckle or blister so that they deviate from their desired flat position on the roof due to extreme weather conditions.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a clip for use on roofing shingles of the type stated, which clip will be so designed as to secure, to the nailed down portions of the shingles of a lower course, the exposed, slotted, normally free lower portions of the shingles of the next higher course. t is a further object of this invention to provide a generally improved shingle hold down clip which will be particularly adapted to facilitate its application to the overlapping shingle courses, will be capable of manufacture by mass production methods at a minimum of cost, will be so shaped as to insure that the clip itself will not provide a blade like edge against which the shingle could tear, and will resist any tendency toward loosening resulting from the clip being walked upon, or receiving the impact of rain, snow, or the like;

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a roof to States Patent ice cording to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an inverted perspective view of one of the clips;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, still further enlarged, on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank or strip from which the clip is formed;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Figure 2 but showinganother embodiment of the clip of my invention;

Figure 7 is an inverted perspective view of the clip shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a plan viewtof the blank or strip from which the clip of Figures 68 is formed.

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a conventional roof, to which is applied succeeding courses of flexible strip shingles generally designated 12, a rectangular shingle being shown. However, other shapes of flexible strip shingles may be used.

The clip constituting the present invention has been generally designated 14, and can be formed from plastic material, or alternatively, from thin, readily bendable sheet metal having the characteristic of being corrosion proof or resistant under continuous exposure to the elements, e. g. aluminum or other light metal or alloy thereof.

A strip shingle 12 formed in the conventional manner is of rectangular, elongated outer configuration, and includes what may be appropriately termed an upper longitudinal portion 16 which is wholly unslotted. The shingle further includes a lower longitudinal portion hav ing at equidistantly spaced locations transversely extending slots or keyways 18, which at their outer ends upon the lower longitudinal edge of the shingle, and at their inner ends, terminate short of the mid-width point of the shingle, as best shown in Figure 1. The provision of the keyways 18 defines therebetween exposed wings 20, which overlie the upper longitudinal portions 16 of the shingles of the next lower course. In installing such a roofing material, nails or other fasteners 22 are driven through the shingles, usually above the inner, closed ends of the keyways 18, and as a result, the upper longitudinal portions of the shingles are securely anchored to the roof sheathing.

It will be seen that in this conventional shingle installation, the exposed lower, slotted portions of the shingles can flap upwardly, and often, when a strong wind is blowing almost horizontally against the roof, it will blow under the exposed, free longitudinal portions of the shingles, and will fling them upwardly with great force, causing the shingles to tear and be ripped 01f the roof. Further, even if the shingles resist being ripped off or being torn, it is not uncommon, under these circumstances, for rain or snow to be blown under the shingles, so as to leak through the roof sheathing. The clip 14, applied at the inner end of each keyway in the manner shown in Figure 1, is designed to prevent the wings 20 from being blown upwardly.

The clip 14 may be of several forms, each embodying the essential characteristics of being formed of an upper and a lower leg or jaw which are equipped with teeth to grip into an upper and a lower shingle, the teeth and jaws being so related that once installed, the clip cannot v be removed intact.

Patented Apr. 1 1958 3 leg :44 which through the major part of its periphery is substantially of circular outline. The: upper leg 44, at its outer end, has serrated jaw portions presenting teeth 46 extending therefrom, and which may be perpendicularly depending toward lower leg 48, or may be bent backwardly at a slight acute angle. It is preferable that the teeth be at an acute angle since they can then better perform their gripping function as discussed in more detail hereinafter.

The lower leg 48, unlike the upper leg, is of elongated, relatively narrow, straight formation, the width of the lower leg being slightly less than the width of any keyway 18. The leg 48, at its inner end, is connected by means of a bight portion 50 to the inner end .of the leg 44. The bight part 50 generally extends in a: plane normal to the parallel planes of the legs 44, 43 so that the clip presents a generally U shape. The bight portion 50 may contain a reinforcing rib 51 (see Figure 3) which extends the full length of the'bight and partially into the upper and the lower legs. This not only lends rigidity to the bight preventing the clip from being readily distorted out of shape, but also the portion of the bight which extends into the lower leg 48 aids in guiding :such legs into the shingle keyway and gives such legs increased thickness when they are inserted between the roof and the under shingle, thus tending to better clamp the under and upper shingle portions together.

At its outer end, the leg 44 has bifurcated portions 52 and 52 which perform a function described ingreater detail hereinafter. The portions 52 and 52 bear, .at their outer extremities, one or more teeth 46, disposed transversely of the leg 44. The edges of leg 44 have a portion 45 and 45 extending from the bight 50 of a generally curvilinear form, followed by portions 47 and 47 which extend generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the legs 44 and 48.

The lower leg 48 has at least one or more .teeth54 ofthe fish-hook-barb type. These teeth may or may .not be vertically aligned with teeth 46 of upper leg 44, although I prefer they be out of alignment since this arrangement gives the clip a greater gripping stability, i. e. there is no well defined fulcrum point formed in the shingles about which any free portion of the shingle strip may pivot when driven by the wind. Furthermore, as will be apparent from Fig. 3, the teeth or jaw portions 46 on the upper leg are in positions to engage the upper surface of the upper shingle, so as to straddle the region where the teeth 54, 54' on the lower leg engage the underside of :the under shingle, which makes for a moreeffective -gripping action since the lower teeth will not have atendency .to thrust the bifurcated upper leg portions out of place upwardly. As will be further apparent from Figs. land 5, the teeth 54, 54 may be made integral with the sides of the leg 48. That is, after the leg 48 is cut-to the shape shown in Fig. 5, the teeth 54, 54 may bebent down into vertical planes. 7.

The clip may be of another form as shown in Figs. :6.8. As shown in Figure 6, the clip 14' includes a wide 1first=.or upper leg 24 which, throughthe major part of its'periphery, is of circular outline. Leg 24, at its outer end, has a serrated jaw 26 extending transversely thereof, generally normally to the length of the clip. The teeth of the jaw, as shown in Fig. 6,, preferably point toward'the second or lower leg 28 of the clip, although as indicated in connection with Figures 24-, the teeth may be perpendicular the folded over terminal portion of the legZS being integrally provided at its free end, with a serrated lower jaw 34 disposed transversely of the leg 28. Due to the folding of the leg 28 upon itself, the jaw 34 is disposed a substantial distance inwardly from the outer end of the leg 28, as shown in Figure 6, and the jaw 34 lies in a plane oblique to the plane of the leg 28. The teeth of jaw 34 point toward the leg 24, in the general direction of the bight part 30, with both the jaws 26, 34 being disposed in the space between the parallel legs 24, 28.

In .use,pthe clip is, without necessitating the use of any special tools, inserted in the keyway 18, and is shifted to the inner end of the keyway. Due to the angularity of the jaws 26, 34 or the teeth 46, 54, the clip will spread to receive the overlapping portions of the shingle of the lower course in the keyway of which the clip is inserted, and the outer edge portion of the shingle of the next higher course. The clip legs, in this connection, are suffciently resilient to permit spreading of the legs. Ultimately, the bight'part 36 or 5.0 will engage against the inner end of the keyway 1S, and the jaws 26, 34 or the teeth 46, 54 will bite into the top and bottom surfaces of the upper and lower shingles, respectively, thus anchoring theclips securely thereto.

The result will be that the exposed lower portions of the several shingles will be securely anchored to the nailed down upper portions of the shinglesof the next lower;

course, and .in-a strong wind, none .of the shingles will be lifted. Inthis connection it is important to note the particular shapeof the upper leg 24 of each clip or leg 44.) The curved .side edges of said upper leg are disposed obliquely to ,the line along which .the shingle would tend to rip when lifted-by the wind. In other words, each wing 20 is gripped by the clip medially between the keyways defining the same, and thus, the lower corners of each wing 20 .can .be lifted slightly by the wind. However, as each corner swings upwardly, the adjacent, curved side edge of the clip leg 24or 44, willbe disposed broadside to the line along which .the corner is swinging upwardly, and thus, will resist tearing of the shingle. Further, the construction is such .as to minimize .a pressure on the upper jaw tending to lift the same out .of engagement with its associated shingle.

Figures 5 and 9 indicate briefly how the .clip may be formed from blank or strip material and then bent into the respective desired shapes Thus, the clipof the invention can be readily produced in greatquantities, at low cost. It would be constructed of a material which would be resistant to corrosion resulting from continuous exposure to the elements. The clip, further, need not be manually spread to receive the superposed shingles. Instead, the jaws of the ,clip are so spaced that they only spread automatically a'slight amount as the clip is moved to the inner end of the associated keyway 18. Further, the clip, when engaged with the shingles, will not loosen over aperiodof-time, whether his walked upon, or whether, on theother-hand, the pressures of wind, snow, and rain are directed thereagainst over long periods of time.

It is'believed apparent that the invention may be modified as to its specific construction and still come within the scope of. the principles of the invention, the specific embodiments described above being only illustrative of the principle involved.

What I claim is: 7 7

1. A shingle hold down clip adapted to retain an exposed wing of a'flexible shingle construction by binding the exposed edge of such wing toa second shingle partially overlapped by such wing and having a keyway, said clip comprising a thin resilient generally U-shapcd body of relatively bendable sheet material including an upper leg portion having sides of curvilinear configuration adapted to lie fiat-wise in engagement with the upper surface of the first-mentioned shingle,- an elongated lower leg portion of substantially'less width than the upper leg portion adapted to underlie fiatwise the second-mentioned shingle, a bight portion connecting said legs and comprising an upward and integral continuation or said lower leg portion adapted to extend through said keyway and merging into the mid-portion of the adjacent inner end of the upper leg, an upper jaw integrally formed upon the outer end of said upper leg and extending generally normally of said leg, and a lower jaw on said lower leg including upwardly bent and rearwardly directed side extensions of said lower leg, said upper and lower jaws being offset from one another, convergent in the general direction of said bight and adapted to bite into the upper surface of the first and the lower surface of second-mentioned shingles respectively.

2. A shingle hold down clip adapted to retain an exposed wing of a flexible shingle construction by binding the exposed edge of such wing to a second shingle partially overlapped by such wing and having a keyway, said clip comprising a thin resilient generally U-shaped body of relatively bendable sheet material including an upper leg portion having sides of at least partial curvilinear con figuration adapted to lie flatwise in engagement with the upper surface of the first-mentioned shingle, an elongated lower leg portion of substantially less width than the upper leg portion adapted to underlie flatwise the secondmentioned shingle, a bight portion connecting said legs and comprising an integral and substantially normal continuation of said lower leg portion adapted to extend through said keyway and merging into the mid-portion of the adjacent inner end of the upper leg, an upper jaw integrally formed upon the outer end of said upper leg and extending generally normally of said leg, and a lower jaw on said lower leg including at least a pair of upwardly bent and rearwardly directed teeth integral with said lower leg, said upper and lower jaws being offset from one another, convergent in the general direction of said bight and adapted to bite into the upper surface of the first and the lower surface of second-mentioned shingles respectively.

3. A shingle hold down clip adapted to connect the lower portion of one shingle to a second shingle formed with a keyway and partially overlapped by the first shingle, comprising a generally U-shaped body shaped to include an upper leg having side portions of curvilinear configuration and a bifurcated outer end adapted to overlie the first shingle, an elongated, straight, lower leg substantially narrower than the upper leg and adapted to underlie the second shingle, a bight connecting the legs at one end thereof and adapted to extend through said keyway, an upper jaw integrally formed upon the bifurcated portions of the upper leg and extending transversely inwardly of said upper leg, said upper jaw lying in a plane related at an acute angle to the upper leg, and a lower jaw carried by the lower leg, said lower leg having at its sides a pair of barbed teeth forming said lower jaw and extending upwardly and spaced inwardly from the outer extremity of the lower leg, the lower jaw extending transversely of the lower leg, said jaws being convergent in the general direction of said bight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,707 Rachlin May 20, 1924 1,520,751 Honigbaurn Dec. 30, 1924 1,544,391 Harward et al June 30, 1925 2,149,818 North Mar. 7, 1939 2,256,313 Dexter Sept. 16, 1941 2,283,814 La Place May 19, 1942 2,341,121 Schaat Feb. 8, 1944 

